Green Fever (6 page)

For the next hour, Mark sat under the warm spring sun with his line in the water. Reeling it in and casting it back out, he had tested several different spots around the pond. So far, he’d caught no fish and hadn’t even had a nibble on his line. It made no sense, and he was very disappointed. What made it worse was that Grandpa had already caught two bass, and Mattie had caught three catfish. Mark could hardly believe it! He’d gone fishing with Grandpa many times and always had good luck. It wasn’t fair that Mattie had caught fish and he hadn’t gotten a single one! Had he been fishing in all the wrong places and that’s why he couldn’t target where they were this morning? Or was it possible that they liked Mattie’s bait better than his?

“I’m done with this!” Mark dropped his pole and folded his arms. “I wanna go home.”

“Why is that?” Grandpa questioned.

“Because I haven’t caught any fish, and I’m bored just sittin’ here, casting my line out for no reason at all.”

“Now don’t be discouraged,” Grandpa said. “You have to be patient when you’re fishing, Mark. You ought to savor the moment and enjoy being here for the experience.” He pointed to the sky. “We couldn’t have picked a better day to be fishing, and just listen to how peaceful it is.”

“Savor? What does that word mean?” Mattie asked.

“It means to appreciate or treasure the moment you’re in,” Grandpa explained.

“You mean, we should make it last?” Mattie questioned.

“Exactly. You have to savor a morning like this for the sheer experience of it. Someday you’ll look back on this day as a cherished memory.” Grandpa smiled. “I know I will.”

Mark knew all along what the word
savor
meant, but he’d decided to let Grandpa explain it to Mattie. Mark also knew that Grandpa was right. It was a beautiful morning to be out here at the pond. Except for the bees buzzing from one wildflower to the next and the occasional splash when each of them cast out their lines, it was pretty quiet. Mark should be having the time of his life like he had always done whenever he’d gone fishing. But today he couldn’t help feeling envious of Mattie.

“Mark, are you thinking jealous thoughts?” Grandpa asked as if he could read Mark’s mind.

Mark shrugged his shoulders, unwilling to admit the way he felt.

“Are you jealous ’cause I caught some fish and you didn’t?” Mattie asked.

“A little,” Mark finally confessed, even though it wasn’t easy to say those two words.

“You know, Mark, fishing shouldn’t be about who catches the most or the biggest fish.” Grandpa paused and fanned his face with the brim of his straw hat. “Have you ever heard the old saying ‘green with envy’?”

Mark gave a slow nod. He knew just what it meant.

“Jealousy, or envy, which basically means the same thing, can make you feel sick if you let it take over your thoughts,” Grandpa said. “It’s like a fever that keeps on rising.”

“Is it a green fever?” Mattie questioned.

Grandpa gave his beard a quick tug. “I guess it could be called that. A person who’s green with envy can let their jealousy eat away at them till they feel sick, so green fever’s a good analogy.”

“Analo-what?” Mattie asked.

“Analogy means similar or like something,” Mark was quick to say. He felt kind of special knowing something Mattie didn’t.

Mattie rubbed her forehead. “Think I’d rather just say ‘like’ or ‘similar.’ Those words are easier to understand.”

Grandpa leaned back on his elbows and chuckled. “Oh yes, but they’re not nearly as much fun to say.” He winked at Mark. “Isn’t it
schpass
to use big words?”

Mark smiled and nodded. It was fun to say big words, and it made him feel good to think that he and Grandpa had that in common. Unlike the fishing they’d done here today, he didn’t think Mattie would ever enjoy using big words.

That evening after supper Mark suggested that he, Mattie, Calvin, and Russell play a game of Scrabble.

Mattie shook her head. “I don’t want to play that game.”

“How come?” Calvin asked.

“Because I’m not good at spelling or making words.”

“You could be if you tried harder,” Mark said.

“You could be better at baseball if you practiced throwing the ball more,” she responded. “In fact, why don’t we go outside right now and throw the ball around?”

Mark shook his head. “It’s starting to rain, and I’m sure not goin’ out there to play.”

“We could all go out to the barn and take turns on the rope swing,” Calvin suggested.

“I don’t feel like doing that, either,” Mark said. “I’d rather stay in here and play a game.”

“Let’s play Checkers.” Russell grinned. “We can start off with two of us playing, and then whoever wins will play the next person in line.”

“I guess that would be all right,” Mark agreed. “Or we could—”

“What do you say about that, Mattie?” Calvin asked, interrupting Mark. “Will you take turns playin’ Checkers with us?”

Mattie didn’t really want to play that game, but since her brothers all wanted to, she finally agreed.

“Great! I’ll go get the Checkers board.” Mark rushed into the living room, where the games were kept. Mattie followed with a feeling of dread. She was sure she would be the loser of this game tonight.

“Mom, where’s our game of Checkers?” Mark asked, searching the bottom shelf of the bookcase. “I can’t find the box, but I’m sure it was here last week.”

Mom and Dad sat on the sofa, each reading a section of the newspaper. “Mattie, can you reach the game for Mark?” Mom asked. “When I was dusting the bookcase the other day, I moved the game to one of the upper shelves and forgot to put it back.”

Mattie watched as Mark stood up quickly and tried to get the board game down before she could retrieve it. But even standing on his tiptoes, he couldn’t quite reach it.

Mark stood back with a look of defeat as Mattie reached up easily and got the game.

“I’ll take it now.” He grabbed the box from Mattie without even saying thanks.

Mattie didn’t say anything about him being ungrateful. She knew how sensitive he was about her being taller than him, so it was best not to make an issue of it.

“You need to tell your sister thank you for getting the game,” Dad said to Mark.

“Danki,”
he mumbled before hurrying back to the kitchen, where Calvin and Russell waited.

Mattie smiled at Dad, and then she also returned to the kitchen.

Mark placed the game on the table. “Why don’t we let Calvin and Russell go first? Then you and I can play each other,” he told Mattie. “Whoever wins will play either Russell or Calvin.”

“Who put you in charge?” Calvin asked, frowning at Mark.

“Well, somebody has to be in charge,” Mark responded.

“It doesn’t have to be you.” Calvin’s cheeks turned pink. “Maybe Russell and I don’t want to go first.”

Mattie giggled to herself. It was nice to know she wasn’t the only one who didn’t like the way Mark had tried to take over.

“All right then,” Mark announced, scratching his head. “Mattie and I will go first, and Calvin and Russell can go second.”

“You’re still tellin’ us what to do,” Calvin said.

Dad poked his head into the kitchen just then. “If you children don’t stop bickering, I’ll send you all upstairs to bed. Your mamm and I are trying to have some peace and quiet while we visit and read today’s paper.”

“Sorry, Dad,” Mark, Mattie, Calvin, and Russell said in unison.

“Now please decide who’s going to be first and get on with your game.” Dad turned and headed back to the living room.

“You and Mattie can go first,” Russell said, looking at Mark. “While you’re playing, I’ll make some popcorn.”

Mattie smacked her lips. “That sounds good. Can we have some chocolate melke to go with it?”

“That’s a good idea. I’ll go ask Mom if it’s okay.” Russell hurried from the room while Mark set up the Checkers board.

Just a few minutes into the game, Mark had already taken two of Mattie’s red checkers. By the time Russell was back and had given them all a glass of chocolate milk, Mattie had lost three more of her checkers. If she didn’t do something fast, she would lose the game.

It was Mattie’s turn next, and she stared at the board, trying to decide which checker piece to move next. If she moved one to the right, Mark would jump it with one of his black checkers. If she moved another one to the left, she’d be trapped.
Think, Mattie, think
, she told herself, tapping her fingers on the edge of the table.

“Hurry up; you’re takin’ too long,” Mark said impatiently. “And would ya quit thumpin’ your fingers? I can’t concentrate when you’re doin’ that.”

Mattie stopped tapping her fingers and stared at the game board. “Don’t rush me; I’m thinking.”

“Well, you’ve only got a couple of moves you can make,” Mark said, leaning close to the board.

Mattie made her move and cringed when Mark jumped not one but two of her checkers. “King me!” he shouted, grinning widely.

Mattie groaned. It seemed like no matter what game she and Mark played, he always won. “I’m done with this game.” She pushed away from the table.

“Aw, you’re just jealous because I’m winning,” Mark said.

Mattie couldn’t argue with that. She’d been having jealous thoughts ever since Mark had started taking her checkers. She thought about what Grandpa said at the pond this morning, when Mark was jealous because he hadn’t caught any fish. Now she wondered if she, too, might have a case of green fever. Mattie wanted to shake this mood, but she found it hard not to give in to the envy that seemed to pester her like a bad toothache. Even though she knew it was wrong, she couldn’t help feeling resentful right now.

“Okay, you’re winning anyway, so let’s finish the game,” Mattie said, although it was hard to give in. “When we’re done, I’m gonna have a bowl of popcorn and go upstairs to my room.”

“Not me,” said Mark. “I’m gonna watch Calvin and Russell play ’cause whoever wins will have to play me next.”

Mattie was even more upset by the time she finished her popcorn and got ready for bed that night
. Not only had Mark beaten her at Checkers, but she’d gone back downstairs to put her empty bowl in the sink and learned that Mark had also won the game he’d played with Russell after Russell had beaten Calvin at Checkers.

Why does Mark have to be so good at playing games?
Mattie wondered as she pulled the covers back and slipped into bed. She fluffed her pillow and turned onto her side, trying to find a comfortable position. It had begun to rain, and the sound of raindrops beating against her bedroom window reminded Mattie of the way Mark sometimes threw pebbles against the wooden fence surrounding their yard. It was an irritating sound—at least to her. How was she ever going to sleep with all that racket going on outside?

Mattie pulled the pillow against her ear, hoping to drown out the noise. Knowing she should think more positive thoughts, she took a deep breath and tried to relax.
If it weren’t for the rain, my flowers wouldn’t grow
, she reminded
herself. Maybe if I keep thinking positive thoughts, it’ll help me get to sleep
. One good thing to think about was the fish she’d caught at the pond. Mom had fried them for supper, and Mattie thought it was the best meal she’d ever tasted.

She thought about the bell for their bike that she still wanted to get and how she and Mark hadn’t earned any money for it yet. Mattie had planned to ask Grandma if she could do some chores for her next Saturday, but during supper this evening, Dad told the family he planned to take them all to The Farm at Walnut Creek on Saturday. Mark had been there once with his friend John, but this would be Mattie’s first time. She was looking forward to riding in the wagon and seeing all the different animals there. She was especially anxious to see the giraffes and thought it would be fun to feed them, just as Mark and his friend had done. Mom said if the weather was nice enough, they would pack a picnic lunch to eat after they’d finished looking at the animals.

“Sure hope the weather on Saturday is better than this,” Mattie murmured into her pillow. If it rained and they couldn’t go, she’d sure be disappointed. But then, if it rained, maybe she could do some work for Grandma. Either way, next Saturday was bound to be good.

Mattie’s eyes grew heavy as she listened to the tempo of the rain and a low rumble sounding in the distance.
Please keep us and our house safe tonight
,
Lord
, she prayed, snuggling deeper under the covers.